1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to board games, and more particularly to a board game including a themed game board depicting a plurality of places and two identical sets of playing cards (each card having a matching card) in which players vie with each other to solve a multi-part mystery, the mystery being based upon deducing which cards, randomly selected cards at the game start, have no match.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Board games are an excellent form of family entertainment. One of the better known board games is MONOPOLY (trademark of Parker Bros.), which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,026,082 to Darrow, dated Dec. 31, 1935. Board games include a game board having play indicia printed thereon, games pieces (usually one uniquely specific to each player), frequently other games pieces, dice or a single die to provide an element of chance, and frequently a set of cards to provide an element of chance coupled with information germane to the play of the game. Some board games also provide other articles of play, such as play money. The object of play of board games is variously related to the rules of play of the particular board game, but generally involves a single player achieving first a predetermined goal, which for example may be the acquisition of a selected game board location, collection of a certain amount of game pieces, the accumulation of a highest amount of play money, etc.
One type of board game that elicits a great deal of fun in the course of its play is the board game CLUE (trademark of Parker Bros.). In CLUE, the game starts with the murder of a game character, and the objective of the game is to solve a three part query: which game character committed the murder (selected from a group of game character xe2x80x9csuspectsxe2x80x9d), where was the murder committed (selected from a number of rooms of a mansion indicated by a floor plan depiction on the game board), and what weapon was used to commit the murder (selected from a group of various weapons). The articles of play include: a game board with a mansion floor plan indicia thereon which depicts 9 rooms; 6 different colored token play pieces (one for each suspect), 6 different weapon play pieces, a single deck of nonidentical cards comprising three categories, one card for each of the 6 suspects (a first category), 6 weapons (a second category) and 9 rooms (a third category), a detective""s notebook score sheet, a xe2x80x9ccase filexe2x80x9d envelope, and 1 die. At the start of play, the cards are separated into three piles sorted according to the categories of cards, one card from each pile is secretly placed in the case file, the object being for the players to make an accusation which includes three categories and names the three cards in the case file. In the course of play, the die is in-turn rolled and players in-turn place their tokens on a room location. Once in a room an in-turn player makes a three-part suggestion naming that room, a suspect and a weapon. The other players then try, in-turn, to prove the three-part suggestion false by showing the in-turn player a card indicating one of the named categories. Such a card showing is proof that the card is not in the case file, and the in-turn player makes a note to that effect on his/her notebook score sheet, and his/her turn ends. As the game progresses, enough information is amassed for a player to make an accusation. If that player""s accusation is correct he/she wins, if not he/she cannot win the game.
Although many prior art board games are quite entertaining, what remains needed is a themed board game which provides great fun and excitement as players compete with each other to solve a multi-part mystery based upon deducing which randomly selected cards of two identical sets of cards have no match.
The present invention is a themed board game including a randomizing instrument, such as for example a die (preferred) or dice, a spinner or other random number indicating device, a plurality of game pieces, a game board having a themed place depiction which depicts a plurality of places and further including two identical sets of playing cards (each card having a matching card) in which players vie with each other to solve a multi-part mystery, the mystery being based upon deducing which cards, randomly selected cards at the start of the game, have no match. Each card of each set has mutually differing indicia thereon, wherein each card of each set has an indicia match with a respective card of the other set. The cards are divided into a plurality of categories, one category including a place category. The cards of each set of cards of the place category have place indicia corresponding to the places of the place depiction.
In operation, one card from each category is randomly selected and secreted. The indicia of these secreted xe2x80x9cmysteryxe2x80x9d cards form the multi-part mystery to be solved. The remaining cards are distributed among the players. An in-turn player actuates the randoming instrument, as for example by rolling at least one die, and moves his/her game piece to a selected place of the place depiction consistent with moves rules. The in-turn player then queries of the players a multi-part question including at least one first part taken from a selected card indicia from at least one category other than the place category and a second part taken from the place category in the form of the place of the game board place depiction where the in-turn player""s game piece is resting, and then shows a card having indicia of a part the multi-part question. The other players then sequentially show a card having indicia of the multi-part question, if such a card is held. Matching shown cards are then discarded from play, otherwise cards are returned to each player, respectively. A next go player then becomes the in-turn player and play as aforesaid continues until a player announces a solution to the multi-part mystery by saying aloud a sentence incorporating the card indicia presumed to be of the secreted xe2x80x9cmysteryxe2x80x9d cards. If correct, this player wins; if incorrect, his/her cards are revealed and play continues until the mystery is solved by another player.
The preferred embodiment of the themed board game according to the present invention is a Halloween themed board game, hereinafter referred to simply as a xe2x80x9cHalloween gamexe2x80x9d. The Halloween game is a family-oriented seek and find board game which recreates the fun and wonder of Halloween, preferably for 3 to 8 players (ages preferably 8 and older), and takes about one hour to play.
A game board has printed thereon a Halloween thematic scene, a preferred example of which being a xe2x80x9cHaunted Housexe2x80x9d having Victorian and Gothic aspects with appurtenances constituting a plurality of places, as for example a porch, rooms, a balcony, an attic, etc. A plurality of game pieces, one used by each player, have a Halloween theme configuration, as for example a pumpkin, a witch, a ghost, etc. Twin sets of cards are provided (that is, each set is a duplicate of the other), each set having three category groups: a place category (wherein each place indicia card thereof has indicia thereon indicative of a respective place of the Haunted House, there being one card in each set for each place, respectively), an entity category (wherein each entity indicia card thereof has indicia thereon indicative of a respective Halloween related entity, as for example a werewolf, a witch, a ghost, etc., there being one card in each set for each entity, respectively), and an event category (wherein each event category card thereof has indicia thereon indicative of a respective Halloween related occurrence, as for example a scream, a laugh, a howl, an odor, etc., there being one card in each set for each event, respectively). At least one die is provided (one die being preferred), which preferably may uniquely include a Halloween indicia in place of the six dots face (as for example a cat or a pumpkin). A first container, preferably having a book configuration, is provided as a receptacle for three xe2x80x9cmysteryxe2x80x9d cards selected at the game start. The xe2x80x9cmysteryxe2x80x9d cards consist of one card from each category, the indicia of which is unknown to the players. A second container, preferably having a coffin configuration, is provided as a receptacle for cards discarded in the course of the game.
The object of the Halloween game is to deduce and announce a xe2x80x9cHaunting Mysteryxe2x80x9d which is a statement indicative of the indicia of three xe2x80x9cmysteryxe2x80x9d cards resident in the first container. This objective is achieved in the course of play by a careful process of elimination of possibilities by each player using his/her xe2x80x9cTracking Chartxe2x80x9d.
An example of operation of the Halloween game according to the present invention is as follows.
The cards are sorted by category into category piles and then each category pile is shuffled. A card from each category pile is placed into the first container without the indicia thereon being known to any player. The cards (all categories) are then grouped together, shuffled and then sequentially dealt to the players. The players take turns. Each in-turn player rolls a die and then moves his/her game piece a number of moves equal to or less than the die roll score to a selected (by xe2x80x9cselectedxe2x80x9d is meant a player preferred) place of the xe2x80x9cHaunted Housexe2x80x9d depiction. The in-turn player then asks out loud a two-part question relating the cards he/she holds as he/she plays a single card face up relative to the playing surface (ie., a table). For example: xe2x80x9cHas anyone seen a ghost (part 1) in the kitchen (part 2)?xe2x80x9d This in-turn player must have a shown (or played) card with an indicia which is either indicative of part 1 or part 2 of the two-part question. To play a Place indicia card, the in-turn player must have his/her game piece on that location. The in-turn player must then show a card from his/her hand with indicia of one of the two parts of the two-part question. All the other players sequentially respond by saying xe2x80x9cyesxe2x80x9d and showing a corresponding card if they have one, or xe2x80x9cnoxe2x80x9d only if they have no corresponding card to either part 1 or part 2 of the question. If a card is shown by a player which matches a card shown by any other player, then these two cards become discarded or xe2x80x9cdeadxe2x80x9d cards that are placed into a xe2x80x9cDead Card Pilexe2x80x9d in the second container and are now out of play for the rest of the game. Since these two identical discarded cards are known to all the players, the place, entity or event category indicia thereon cannot be in the first container, preferably referred to as a xe2x80x9cBook of Spellsxe2x80x9d, and, therefore, cannot form a part of the three-part Haunting Mystery. The players should notate their respective Tracking Chart accordingly with this information or any other information they may have deduced on this turn. All non-matching cards are returned to each respective player""s hand. The game continues with each player sequentially being the in-turn player. An in-turn player may announce what he/she thinks is the Haunting Mystery by making a three-part statement including an entity category, an event category and a place category as depicted by the card set indicia. That player may then look into the xe2x80x9cBook of Spellsxe2x80x9d to see if these xe2x80x9cmysteryxe2x80x9d cards are there. If they are, then that player wins, and the game concludes. If not, the player is out of the game, his/her cards are made known to the remaining players, and play continues.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a board game which provides the enchantment of Halloween in the course of play.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a themed board game wherein an object of the game is to deduce a multi-part mystery using a game board depiction of a plurality of places of a place category and two identical decks of cards having multiple categories including the place category.
These, and additional objects, advantages, features and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification.